The largest groups were at the forward end. Metusael had placed them there to make sure that Burton's people did not try to sneak aboard to steal their goods. The little dark-skinned men watched him closely as he sauntered along. He grinned and waved at them. They did not return his greeting.
Having checked the situation, Burton walked back to his hut. On the way he passed the Ganopo chief, who was sitting before his hut and smoking one of the little briar pipes the grails offered once a year.
Burton squatted down by him.
"I am thinking, O chief, that tonight the raftspeople may be in for a big surprise."
The chief removed his pipe and said, "What do you mean?"
"It is possible that the chief of the people on the north bank may be leading a raid upon the raftspeople. Have you heard anything about that?"
"Not a word. The great chief of the Shaawanwaaki does not confide in me. However, I would not be surprised if he and his warriors did not resent the injuries and the insults which we Ganopo, who are under his protection, have suffered from the eagle-noses."
"If they did make this raid you suggest, when would they be likely to do it?"
"In the old days, when the Shaawanwaaki warred against the people on the south bank, they would cross the River just before dawn. The clouds are still duck then, and they could not be seen approaching. But soon after they had landed, the sun would come up and the clouds would burn away under its heat. Then the Shaawanwaaki could see to strike."
"That is what I thought," Burton said. "However, one thing troubles me. It is an easy matter to cross a river or even a small lake in the fog and find me other side. This is a small island which would be difficult to find in the clouds. It is true the rock tower is very high, but the raiders would be in the fog and could not see it."
The chief tamped down the coals in his pipe, and he said, "That is no worry of mine."
Burton said, "There is a ledge on the spire. It faces the north bank, but an outcropping of rock would prevent the raftspeople from seeing it. It would also prevent them from seeing a bonfire. A bonfire which anyone on The River north of the island might see even through the fog. Is that why some of the Ganopo have been busy all day carrying bamboo and pine up to this ledge?"
The chief grinned. "You have the curiosity of a wildcat and the eyes of a hawk. However, I promised the Shaawanwaaki chief not to say a word about this business."
Burton stood up. "I understand. Many thanks for your hospitality, chief, whether or not I ever see you again."
"If not in this world, perhaps in the next."
It was difficult to get to sleep. After hours of tossing and turning, he was surprised to find himself being shaken awake by Monat. Burton freed himself of the Arcturan's three fingers and thumb and got up. Monat, who also came from a planet with a twenty-four hours' rotation, had a biological chronometer in his head. Burton had depended upon him to wake the others at the right time.
They moved around, talking softly while they drank instant coffee. The crystals, a gift from the islanders, provided a boiling heat as they dissolved.
After going over their plan once more, they moved outside and relieved themselves. The hut was just high enough to be above the mists, enabling them to see a faint glow high up on the spire. The Shaawanwaaki, even though in fog, would be able to discern it as a dim glow. That would be all they needed.
Frigate and Burton were the only ones who had been wearing a full suit of cloths when the Hadji II had gone down. The others, however, had cloths given them by the Ganopo. Clad from head to foot in these, they walked down into' the fog. Burton led, one hand in Alice's, hers in Frigate's, and so on down the line. Depending upon an unusual sense of direction, Burton ted them to the water's edge. Now they could see the glow of the torches in the fuzziness.
Burton took out his flint knife. Kazz had a club he'd fashioned from a stick of pine with a knife- he'd borrowed from a Ganopo. Frigate's knife had been given to the Neanderthal woman, Besst. The rest were unarmed.
Burton moved cautiously forward until he was at the edge of the raft. There was enough space between the torches ranged along the edge for him to crawl through unseen. He proceeded to do this until he was well out of range of the guards' vision and hearing. He waited while, one by one, me others caught up.
"This is the easy part," he said. "From now on we'll be blind until we come across a torchlight. I have the location of the buildings and the boats in my head, but in this fog ... well, follow me."
Despite his assurances, he blundered around for a while. Then, abruptly, the huge black figure of the idol, a fire in its hollow belly, was in front of him. He stood for a minute, estimating the probable number of paces from the statue to the building which held the grails.
Kazz said, "I can just see some lights to the right."
Keeping to the right of the torches, Burton led the others until he saw the square walls and conical roof of the storehouse. From the front of the building came the voices of the guards, speaking in low tones, stamping their feet now and then. After going behind the building, touching it with a finger to keep contact. Burton stopped on the other side.
Here he removed from under his cloths a coil of leather rope borrowed from the Ganopo chief, who had not asked him about its intended use. Monat and Frigate also carried coils. Burton tied their ends together to make a single rope. While Alice held one end, he moved out into the darkness with Frigate, Monat, Loghu, and Kazz. He knew that there was a boat-rack on the edge of the raft just opposite the storehouse. This time, he went straight to his target.
Cautioning them to move slowly and silently, he and the others eased a large canoe off the rack. It could hold ten people and so, though made of light pine and thin fish-skin, was heavy.
After me canoe was in the water and paddles placed in it, all returned except Loghu. It was her job to keep the canoe from drifting away.
Following the rope, they went swiftly back to the storehouse.
Just as they returned, Kazz grunted, and said, "Others coming!"
The flames of four torches became visible.
"It's a change of guards!" Burton said.
They had to move around to the other side of the building since the four armed men were headed toward them.
Burton looked upward. Was it his imagination or was the fog becoming less dark above?
They waited, some of them sweating despite the damp, cold air. The guards exchanged some words, somebody must have cracked a joke, judging by their laughter, then the relieved men said good night. The torches showed that two were going to homes in the forward part. The other two went in the opposite direction, causing a swift retreat by the invaders.
Burton, watching from the corner said, "Those two are separating. Kazz, do you dunk you could get one of them?"
"No sweat, Burton-naq," Kazz said, and he was gone.
Both the torches were almost out of sight when Burton saw one of them drop. A minute later it lifted, becoming more bright as it approached them.
By then, Burton had moved the group from the side to the back of the building. He did not want a guard to walk past the front and see the torch.